News

Fewer than 1,000 places are left for Oxford half marathon

First published
in News
by Luke Sproule, Reporter covering Rose Hill, Iffley and Littlemore. Please call me on (01865) 425422

FEWER than 1,000 general entry places are left for the Oxford Half Marathon, with as many as 450 people signing up to take part every week.

Organisers have said the race will probably be full by the middle of September and have urged anyone who wants to take part to sign up as soon as possible.

Runners will hit city streets on Sunday, October 12 for the 13.1 mile run for charities like Oxfam and Helen and Douglas House.

There are about 6,000 general entry places and 700 reserved for entries organised by charities.

This year the race will also include a section of the Roger Bannister Running Track on Iffley Road where Sir Roger broke the four-minute mile barrier in 1954.

Race director Andrew Taylor said: “We are delighted to see that the race is growing in popularity and we have seen a lot of new entries this year.

“We would like to urge anyone who is planning on signing up to get their entries in fast to avoid disappointment.

“Once we have sold out we won’t be able to offer any more general entries, and the only way to take part will be through our charity places.”

Risinghurst’s Caroline Dean, 37, will run for Oxfordshire Autistic Society (OASIS) after her five-year-old son George was diagnosed with autism in February.

The John Radcliffe hospital pharmacy worker said: “My main motivation is to try and raise some awareness for autism because people don’t really understand it.

“Not everybody has the same support I have and I want to make that possible for everyone.

“This is my first half marathon so it is a big challenge.

“I ran the Town and Gown 10k in May and my dad ran the half marathon the last two years.

“I wanted to support him and I thought if he is 65 and he can do it so can I.”

The run starts and finishes at Oxford United’s Kassam Stadium, passing through the Cowley Mini Plant, up Iffley Road, through the city centre and Christ Church Meadow before returning along the Thames Path. Entries cost £34 per runner or £32 for UK Athletics affiliated runners.

Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone via our WhatsApp service? Text NEWS or SPORT or NEWS AND SPORT, depending on which services you want, and your full name to 07767 417704. Save our number into your phone's contacts as Oxford Mail WhatsApp and ensure you have WhatsApp installed.